Game call striker retainer

ABSTRACT

A secure means of directly attaching one or more strikers for a slate type turkey call to that call. The secure attachment keeps the strikers and call as a unit for ready access and eliminates one rattling against the other when the call is not in use. The attachment is accomplished by diametral engagement of the strikers by an extension of the call body. The extension is an integral part of the call body or added as an accessary to an existing slate turkey call. The invention also retains a plurality of strikers as a convenient, noise free set, separate from a call.

This application is a continuation of Provisional Application No. 60/506,830 filed Sep. 26, 2003 entitled “GAME CALL STRIKER RETAINER”. This invention relates to using a slate type turkey call while hunting wild turkey, or more specifically to retaining the sound producing striker when not in use calling turkey.

RELATED U.S. APPLICATION DATA

Continuation of Provisional Application No. 60/506,830 filed on Sep. 26, 2003

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to turkey hunting using a planar friction type call, commonly referred to as a slate call. Slate call comes from what these calls originally used as the sound producing striking surface, although now this surface can be slate or a number of other materials both natural and synthetic. These calls usually have the shape of a shallow cup 20 three to four inches in diameter that is made of plastic or wood. The cup 20, sometimes referred to as the pan of the call, is covered by the sound producing striking surface 21 with holes 22 in the bottom or sides of the cup that emit the sound. FIG. 1 shows the top and bottom of this type of call in its most common form.

In order to imitate the sound of a wild turkey, the striking surface is scratched or rubbed with an object commonly called a striker or peg. Like the striking surface of the call, these strikers can be made from a variety of materials, with various types of wood being the most common. Strikers are usually cylindrical in shape at the striking end, and are usually held by the fingers much like a pencil. FIG. 1 shows a typical striker 23. FIG. 2 shows a typical striker 23 in a calling position against the sound producing surface 21 of the call.

Turkey hunters have found that they sometimes get a better response to their calling if it sounds like there is more than one turkey at the location from which they are calling. This can be accomplished with one planar friction call by carrying a number of strikers made from different materials and of various shapes and sizes. Different strikers sound different against the same striking surface, sounding like a different turkey.

Eliminating unnatural sounds is very important when turkey hunting, since turkey will quickly flee if they hear a sound that is not natural to their environment. Rattling sound made by hunting gear moving around in a hunter's pocket is one of these unnatural sounds that needs to be eliminated to effectively hunt the wild turkey. Ideally a slate call and its striker should be kept together for ready access, but unless some sort of separator for the two is fashioned, or they are kept in separate pockets, unwanted rattling occurs.

A common link between a slate call and a striker up to this point has been a lanyard. It is nothing more than a thin rope that is looped and knotted between holes in the call and striker. The lanyard requires enough length to enable striker use while still tied to the call. Not all call manufacturers supply holes to accommodate a lanyard, and striker against call rattling is still a problem since they have to be transported together. Sporting goods manufacturers also make pouches to carry a slate call and strikers. These usually are a pocket to place the call in, covered by a flap held down with a snap, button or velcro, and have fabric or elastic loops on the outside to hold strikers. Hunting vests are also available with special pockets designed specifically for slate calls with fabric or elastic loops for holding strikers.

Resilient clips or clasps are used to hold a wide variety of objects that have a round shape. These utilitarian devices usually have a profile that is mostly C-shaped with deflective legs and an internal partial diameter the size of the retained object. Often called spring clips, variations of these clips have been made of spring steel, rubber, wood, plastic and other materials, with plastic's resilience making it very popular for this application. Combinations of materials have also been used with success, utilizing mechanical properties of more than one material when needed. Uses of these resilient clips are numerous. Some sporting goods uses are golf ball holders, golf club holders, tennis ball holders, hunting arrow quivers and firearms cartridge carriers. They are widely used in the medical industry, plumbing and in electrical as both a retainer and a conductor of electricity. Anywhere a round profile needs to be securely held, either temporarily or permanently, some variation of a resilient diametral clip might be used.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention uses a fastening means to directly attach the striker of a slate type turkey call to that call. This fastening means firmly attaches the striker to the hunter's call. This fastening means keeps the striker and call as a unit for ready access and eliminates the possibility of one rattling against the other when the call is not in use. The invention also retains more than one striker as a set separate from a call, or directly attached to a call.

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE PERSPECTIVE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows the bottom and top of a slate turkey call and a striker in common forms.

FIG. 2 shows a striker against a slate call in a calling position.

FIG. 3 shows the preferred embodiment with an integral retainer and a striker retained.

FIG. 4 demonstrates engagement of the striker by the retainer.

FIGS. 5 & 6 show possible locations for a retainer on a call body.

FIGS. 7 & 8 show possible attachment means for adding accessary retainers.

FIG. 9 shows a call with two retainers integrally molded.

FIG. 10 shows a call with a retainer on the bottom retaining four strikers.

FIG. 11 shows a four striker accessary retainer with a common screw for mounting.

FIG. 12 shows a four striker retainer with strikers as a set, unattached to a call.

FIG. 13 shows a four striker retainer with a pocket type clip.

FIG. 14 shows a version with a modified pocket type clip for grasping a slate call body.

FIG. 15 shows another possible retainer in the form of a closed loop.

FIG. 16 shows another possible retainer with the striker passing through the call body.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The preferred embodiment of the present invention makes use of a C-shaped clip that is either an integral part of the slate turkey call body or is somehow attached to the body of the call. This clip diametrally engages the striker for quiet transport of the call and striker as a unit. FIG. 3 shows a typical call with an integral clip 24 with a striker engaged, ready for quiet transport.

The preferred embodiment of the present invention would be injection molded of a resilient polymeric material able to withstand the deforming of the two legs 16 of the C-shaped profile to engage the striker diameter. The internal partial diameter 19 of this profile will be slightly smaller than the striker diameter it will retain. The opening of the profile that recieves said striker will be approximately 50-80% of the retained diameter of said striker, with a small tangential radii 17 or chamfer angle 18 along each side of said opening to promote entry of the striker. The profile length will provide required rigidity, or can be of divided construction with multiple, axially aligned, C-shaped profiles for rigidity and material savings. The clip and striker are engaged by axially aligning the striker diameter parallel with the internal clip diameter 19 along the opening in the clip. See FIG. 4. Pushing on striker perpendicular to said axes, the two legs 16 of the clip are deformed or deflected, allowing the striker to enter the clip. The striker is pushed until stopped by the internal diameter of the clip, aligning the centerlines of the two diameters. At this point the two legs 16 of the clip have returned nearly to their original shape and position and are now retaining the striker. Reversing this procedure removes the striker from the retainer.

The preferred embodiment of the present invention would have the call body, or pan, injection molded of said polymeric material with the inventive clip being an integrally molded extension of the main call body. The integrally molded clip 24 could be anywhere on the call that does not inhibit function, such as on the side of the call or anywhere on the bottom. See FIGS. 5 & 6.

Another embodiment of the present invention would have the inventive clip attached as an accessary 25 to an existing planar friction call. This could be accomplished with any form of a one way push-in mounting stud 26, a common screw 27, rivet or by any other functional means. See FIG. 7 & 8.

Another embodiment of the present invention could handle multiple strikers. FIG. 9 shows a call with two clips 24 integrally molded. FIG. 10 shows a call holding four strikers. The clips that retain multiple strikers could be integrally molded or attached as an accessory 31 to an existing call, a gun stock or any receptive piece of hunting gear. See FIG. 11.

The mutiple clip could also be used without attaching it to anything, to transport a plurality of strikers as a convenient noise free set. See FIG. 12. The multiple striker retainer could handle an infinite but practical number of strikers and not be limited, more or less, to the four strikers depicted in the drawings. The retained set of strikers could also be arranged in other configurations, such as a circle, square or double row, and not be limited to a single row as depicted in the drawings.

The striker clip could utilize a second type of clip 28 functionally the same as a pocket clip, or spring clamp, found on a common writing pen. This second clip 28 attaches the striker retainer and strikers to a hunters pocket, belt or gun sling. See FIG. 13. Another version of this double clip construction attaches one or more strikers by grasping the call body for convenient and quiet transport. See FIG. 14.

The striker retainer could also be made of other materials like die formed metal, rubber, wood or any combination of materials, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The retainer could also take forms other than the C-shaped clip without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, functional attachment of strikers could also be obtained with other forms of diametral engagement such as a closed loop 29, or a hole 30 passing through the call body for the insertion of the striker with a detent within the call body. See FIGS. 15 & 16. 

1. A secure means of directly fastening one or more strikers of a slate type turkey call to that call.
 2. A secure means of fastening one or more strikers, according to claim 1, that is an integral part of the call body.
 3. A secure means of fastening one or more strikers, according to claim 1, that is added by a rigid means of attachment as an accessary to an existing call.
 4. A secure means of fastening a plurality of strikers for a slate turkey call together as a unit, by diametral engagement, to form a retained set.
 5. A secure means of fastening slate call strikers, according to claim 4, that utilizes an integral second clip, or cantilever spring clamp, to attach the retained strikers to the body of a slate call, hunter's belt, gun sling, apparel pocket or any receptive hunting gear.
 6. A secure means of fastening strikers of a slate turkey call together and to the call using a resilient, mostly C-shaped profile, diametral clip or clasp: that has an internal partial diameter that is slightly smaller than the retained striker. that has an opening for striker entry smaller than the diameter of the retained striker. that has two deflective retaining legs formed by the internal partial diameter and the entry opening. that can, with any functional variation, be placed in a properly sized and spaced configuration to retain a plurality of strikers. 